10 Steps to your own Sweatshop

May 08, 2008

"Alternative" or "Ethical" Clothes

Following campaigns by the international anti-sweatshop movement and increased consumer interest in fair trade and ethical shopping, a number of initiatives claiming to sell "ethical", "alternative" or "fairly produced" clothes have sprung up. The standards and processes of these initiatives vary greatly. For the concerned consumer, it is important to be able to assess and compare these different standards and to look critically at claims made by the new "ethical" market.

To help consumers make informed choices, the Clean Clothes Campaign has compiled an overview of these brands on its website. The focus is on small brands that attempting to challenge current trading systems and to find a different way of doing business. They are: Dignity Returns/Solidarity Factory, No Sweat and Blackspot Shoes. These brands may have long-term partnership-based sourcing relationships and may manufacture through partner cooperatives or artisan groups. New and updated information about other brands that make ethical claims or are perceived to be ethical, such as Gap Red, Edun, Kuyichi and American Apparel is included in the regular companies section on the CCC website